Mega Election 2026: ECI Announces Dates for 5 States, Counting on May 4
New Delhi, March 15, 2026 — The Election Commission of India (ECI) has officially sounded the poll bugle, announcing the highly anticipated assembly election schedules for West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam, and the Union Territory of Puducherry.
Voting across the five regions will commence on April 9 and conclude on April 29, setting the stage for a high-stakes political battle. The counting of votes for all constituencies will take place simultaneously on Monday, May 4, 2026.
West Bengal: A Two-Phase Battle
Unlike the other states, West Bengal will conduct its elections in two phases to cover all of its Assembly Constituencies (ACs).
Phase 1 (152 ACs): Voting will be held on Thursday, April 23, 2026.
Phase 2 (142 ACs): Voting will conclude on Wednesday, April 29, 2026.
April 9: Polling in Kerala, Assam, and Puducherry
Three regions will go to the polls in a single phase on Thursday, April 9, 2026:
Kerala: All 140 Assembly Constituencies.
Assam: All 126 Assembly Constituencies.
Puducherry: All 30 Assembly Constituencies.
For these states, the official gazette notification will be issued on March 16, with the last date for filing nominations set for March 23.
April 23: Tamil Nadu Joins the Fray
Tamil Nadu will also conduct its elections in a single, massive phase. Voters across all 234 assembly constituencies will cast their ballots on Thursday, April 23, 2026, coinciding directly with the first phase of the West Bengal elections. The notification for Tamil Nadu will be issued on March 30.
With the official announcement of the election dates, the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) comes into immediate effect across all four states and the Union Territory. Political parties now have a clear, definitive timeline to finalize their candidate lists and ramp up their campaigns leading up to the mega results day on May 4.
